Dr. Marshall is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Behavior & Health Education in the College of Public Health at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She earned her PhD in Health Behavior at Indiana University and focused much of her education on adolescent development and human sexuality and received training in qualitative research methods. She has worked with seasoned researchers at The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction on a few projects including testing the effectiveness of a condom use intervention. Her research interests include the following: sociocultural issues affecting adolescent sexual health, particularly HIV and teen pregnancy; sexual minority health issues, especially bullying among LGBT youth; and incorporating new technologies into behavioral research and interventions. Currently she is collaborating with faculty members at different universities across Arkansas on several projects and grant applications.
Suicide is currently the second leading cause of death in the U.S. among youth ages 10 to 24. Sex... more Suicide is currently the second leading cause of death in the U.S. among youth ages 10 to 24. Sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth face heightened risk for suicide and report greater odds of attempting suicide than their heteronormative peers. Contributing factors of experience, which are distinctly different from the experiences of heteronormative youth, place SGM youth at heightened risk for suicide. While interventions aimed at addressing suicide risk factors for all youth are being implemented and many have proven effective in the general population, no evidence-based intervention currently exists to reduce suicide risk within this special population. This perspective article discusses this need and proposes the development of an evidence-based suicide risk reduction intervention tailored to SGM youth. Creating a supportive school climate for SGM youth has been shown to reduce suicide risk and may provide protective effects for all youth while simultaneously meeting the unique...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Background: Sexting is an increasingly common phenomenon among adolescents and young adults. Some... more Background: Sexting is an increasingly common phenomenon among adolescents and young adults. Some studies have investigated the role of personality traits in different sexting behaviors within mainstream personality taxonomies like Big Five and HEXACO. However, very few studies have investigated the role of maladaptive personality factors in sexting. Therefore, the present study investigated the relationship between Dark Triad Personality Traits and experimental (i.e., sharing own sexts), risky (i.e., sexting under substance use and with strangers), and aggravated sexting (i.e., non-consensual sexting and sexting under pressure) across 11 countries. Methods: An online survey was completed by 6093 participants (Mage = 20.35; SDage = 3.63) from 11 different countries which covered four continents (Europe, Asia, Africa, and America). Participants completed the Sexting Behaviors Questionnaire and the 12-item Dark Triad Dirty Dozen scale. Results: Hierarchical regression analyses showed ...
Abstract Sexting has been defined as sharing sexually suggestive content (i.e., sexts) via Intern... more Abstract Sexting has been defined as sharing sexually suggestive content (i.e., sexts) via Internet or smartphone. To date, only a few studies investigated the role of personality traits in relation to sending or receiving sexts, and most of them used the Five Factor Model of Personality. No studies applied the theoretical model of HEXACO six personality traits (i.e., honesty-humility, emotionality, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience) when examining different types of sexting (i.e., sending own sexts, risky sexting, sharing sexts from someone else without his/her permission, sexting under pressure). Thus, this is the first study that, using a cross-cultural perspective, investigated HEXACO personality predictors of sexting behaviors considered as a multidimensional construct. A total of 5542 participants from 13 to 30 years old (Mage = 20.36; SDage = 3.67; 60.4% girls and 39.6% boys) from 10 different countries participated in the study. Participants completed the sexting behaviors questionnaire and the HEXACO personality inventory. Four hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to investigate which HEXACO personality traits predicted different sexting behaviors, controlling for country, biological sex, age, sexual identity status, and dating relationship status. Results showed that honesty-humility and conscientiousness were negatively predictive of all investigated sexting behaviors. Emotionality and extraversion were positively related, and agreeableness was negatively related to sending own sexts and risky sexting. Finally, openness to experience was negatively related to sharing sexts from someone else without his/her consent and sexting under pressure. Results have implications for the development and implementation of sexual education and prevention programs aimed towards adolescents and young adults.
ABSTRACT Despite a national decline in teenage pregnancy rates, Arkansas continues to have one of... more ABSTRACT Despite a national decline in teenage pregnancy rates, Arkansas continues to have one of the highest rates in the USA. More teenagers in the state reported not using any method of contraception (20%) compared to the USA (13.8%). National-level research suggests that misinformation and lack of awareness about contraception is prevalent. This study examines awareness, knowledge and attitudes towards contraception among Arkansas teenagers and parents. Between July-November 2018, twelve focus groups – 6 with teenagers (n = 40) and 6 with parents (n = 28) – were conducted around the state. Parent participants were uncertain about their teenagers’ access to and knowledge of contraception, had many concerns about their teenagers using contraception and spoke about teaching their kids about contraception in a future sense (‘would’ and ‘should’). Although parents preferred abstinence for their teenagers, they preferred contraception use to teenage pregnancy. Teenage participants had limited knowledge/awareness of methods of contraception beyond condoms and birth control pills. They saw contraception as ineffective, were concerned about side effects and experienced difficulty accessing contraception. This study provides insight into current knowledge and attitudes towards contraception among teenagers and parents in Arkansas, as well as recommendations for designing educational campaigns centred around awareness, empowerment and inclusion.
Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology, Mar 19, 2017
Adolescents with asthma are at risk of poor outcomes and are traditionally difficult to reach. To... more Adolescents with asthma are at risk of poor outcomes and are traditionally difficult to reach. To examine adolescents' use of and asthma outcomes associated with smartphone- vs paper-based asthma action plans (AAPs). We conducted a 6-month randomized clinical trial with adolescents (12-17 years old) with persistent asthma. Participants used their respective smartphone or paper AAPs for medication instructions and peak flow or asthma symptoms logging. AAP use was measured electronically for smartphone users and via mail-in diaries for the paper group. Changes in Asthma Control Test (ACT) and self-efficacy scores were examined. Thirty-four adolescents participated in this study (median age, 15.4 years). Participants were mostly African American (62%) with state-issued insurance (71%). Adolescents in the smartphone group accessed the AAP a median of 12.17 times per week or 4.36 days per week but only recorded medications or symptoms and peak flow data in the electronic diary a medi...
Suicide is currently the second leading cause of death in the U.S. among youth ages 10 to 24. Sex... more Suicide is currently the second leading cause of death in the U.S. among youth ages 10 to 24. Sexual and gender minority (SGM†) youth face heightened risk for suicide and report greater odds of attempting sui- cide than their heteronormative peers. Contributing factors of experience, which are distinctly different from the experiences of heteronormative youth, place SGM youth at heightened risk for suicide. While in- terventions aimed at addressing suicide risk factors for all youth are being implemented and many have proven effective in the general population, no evidence-based intervention currently exists to reduce suicide risk within this special population. This perspective article discusses this need and proposes the develop- ment of an evidence-based suicide risk reduction intervention tailored to SGM youth. Creating a supportive school climate for SGM youth has been shown to reduce suicide risk and may provide protective effects for all youth while simultaneously meeting the unique needs of SGM youth.
Background: Most women value continued quality of life as they age. Biological, cognitive and soc... more Background: Most women value continued quality of life as they age. Biological, cognitive and social factors make the concept of aging unappealing (Branch, Katz, & Kniepman, 1984). Of primary concern is the decline in sexual functioning in both sexes (Masters & Johnson, 1970). Previous research examined exercise/physical activity (PA) and female sexual response and demonstrated that vigorous physical exercise/PA activated the woman’s sexual response (Meston, 2000). The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between exercise/PA and sexual satisfaction among women. Methods: The current study used a 30-item online questionnaire to collect data on components of exercise/PA and markers of sexual satisfaction among 278 women ages 18 to 74. Results: Results of the Spearman Rho determined that aerobic frequency (r=.154, n=249, p<.05), aerobic duration (r=.131, n=248, p<.05), aerobic rate of perceived exertion (r=.129, n=244, p<.05), and recreation intensity (r=.208, ...
TITLE: Sexting Behaviors and Consequences Among Selected Southern Undergraduates BACKGROUND: The ... more TITLE: Sexting Behaviors and Consequences Among Selected Southern Undergraduates BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess sexting behaviors (i.e. sending, posting, or sharing/forwarding sexually suggestive messages, nude/semi-nude pictures/videos, or both) and health consequences of sexting behaviors among selected undergraduate students living in the South. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: Social Cognitive Theory – This generation of college students have been using mobile devices for many years, so the behavioral capability is primed for sexting. The college campus environment and society at large may be perceived to support sexting. Through observational learning, students may witness their peers achieve desired outcomes and adopt this behavior. Students may anticipate positive outcomes from sexting themselves (expectations) and value those outcomes (expectancies). HYPOTHESIS: Students experience more positive health consequences related to sexting than negative. Positive conseq...
Suicide is currently the second leading cause of death in the U.S. among youth ages 10 to 24. Sex... more Suicide is currently the second leading cause of death in the U.S. among youth ages 10 to 24. Sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth face heightened risk for suicide and report greater odds of attempting suicide than their heteronormative peers. Contributing factors of experience, which are distinctly different from the experiences of heteronormative youth, place SGM youth at heightened risk for suicide. While interventions aimed at addressing suicide risk factors for all youth are being implemented and many have proven effective in the general population, no evidence-based intervention currently exists to reduce suicide risk within this special population. This perspective article discusses this need and proposes the development of an evidence-based suicide risk reduction intervention tailored to SGM youth. Creating a supportive school climate for SGM youth has been shown to reduce suicide risk and may provide protective effects for all youth while simultaneously meeting the unique...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Background: Sexting is an increasingly common phenomenon among adolescents and young adults. Some... more Background: Sexting is an increasingly common phenomenon among adolescents and young adults. Some studies have investigated the role of personality traits in different sexting behaviors within mainstream personality taxonomies like Big Five and HEXACO. However, very few studies have investigated the role of maladaptive personality factors in sexting. Therefore, the present study investigated the relationship between Dark Triad Personality Traits and experimental (i.e., sharing own sexts), risky (i.e., sexting under substance use and with strangers), and aggravated sexting (i.e., non-consensual sexting and sexting under pressure) across 11 countries. Methods: An online survey was completed by 6093 participants (Mage = 20.35; SDage = 3.63) from 11 different countries which covered four continents (Europe, Asia, Africa, and America). Participants completed the Sexting Behaviors Questionnaire and the 12-item Dark Triad Dirty Dozen scale. Results: Hierarchical regression analyses showed ...
Abstract Sexting has been defined as sharing sexually suggestive content (i.e., sexts) via Intern... more Abstract Sexting has been defined as sharing sexually suggestive content (i.e., sexts) via Internet or smartphone. To date, only a few studies investigated the role of personality traits in relation to sending or receiving sexts, and most of them used the Five Factor Model of Personality. No studies applied the theoretical model of HEXACO six personality traits (i.e., honesty-humility, emotionality, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience) when examining different types of sexting (i.e., sending own sexts, risky sexting, sharing sexts from someone else without his/her permission, sexting under pressure). Thus, this is the first study that, using a cross-cultural perspective, investigated HEXACO personality predictors of sexting behaviors considered as a multidimensional construct. A total of 5542 participants from 13 to 30 years old (Mage = 20.36; SDage = 3.67; 60.4% girls and 39.6% boys) from 10 different countries participated in the study. Participants completed the sexting behaviors questionnaire and the HEXACO personality inventory. Four hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to investigate which HEXACO personality traits predicted different sexting behaviors, controlling for country, biological sex, age, sexual identity status, and dating relationship status. Results showed that honesty-humility and conscientiousness were negatively predictive of all investigated sexting behaviors. Emotionality and extraversion were positively related, and agreeableness was negatively related to sending own sexts and risky sexting. Finally, openness to experience was negatively related to sharing sexts from someone else without his/her consent and sexting under pressure. Results have implications for the development and implementation of sexual education and prevention programs aimed towards adolescents and young adults.
ABSTRACT Despite a national decline in teenage pregnancy rates, Arkansas continues to have one of... more ABSTRACT Despite a national decline in teenage pregnancy rates, Arkansas continues to have one of the highest rates in the USA. More teenagers in the state reported not using any method of contraception (20%) compared to the USA (13.8%). National-level research suggests that misinformation and lack of awareness about contraception is prevalent. This study examines awareness, knowledge and attitudes towards contraception among Arkansas teenagers and parents. Between July-November 2018, twelve focus groups – 6 with teenagers (n = 40) and 6 with parents (n = 28) – were conducted around the state. Parent participants were uncertain about their teenagers’ access to and knowledge of contraception, had many concerns about their teenagers using contraception and spoke about teaching their kids about contraception in a future sense (‘would’ and ‘should’). Although parents preferred abstinence for their teenagers, they preferred contraception use to teenage pregnancy. Teenage participants had limited knowledge/awareness of methods of contraception beyond condoms and birth control pills. They saw contraception as ineffective, were concerned about side effects and experienced difficulty accessing contraception. This study provides insight into current knowledge and attitudes towards contraception among teenagers and parents in Arkansas, as well as recommendations for designing educational campaigns centred around awareness, empowerment and inclusion.
Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology, Mar 19, 2017
Adolescents with asthma are at risk of poor outcomes and are traditionally difficult to reach. To... more Adolescents with asthma are at risk of poor outcomes and are traditionally difficult to reach. To examine adolescents' use of and asthma outcomes associated with smartphone- vs paper-based asthma action plans (AAPs). We conducted a 6-month randomized clinical trial with adolescents (12-17 years old) with persistent asthma. Participants used their respective smartphone or paper AAPs for medication instructions and peak flow or asthma symptoms logging. AAP use was measured electronically for smartphone users and via mail-in diaries for the paper group. Changes in Asthma Control Test (ACT) and self-efficacy scores were examined. Thirty-four adolescents participated in this study (median age, 15.4 years). Participants were mostly African American (62%) with state-issued insurance (71%). Adolescents in the smartphone group accessed the AAP a median of 12.17 times per week or 4.36 days per week but only recorded medications or symptoms and peak flow data in the electronic diary a medi...
Suicide is currently the second leading cause of death in the U.S. among youth ages 10 to 24. Sex... more Suicide is currently the second leading cause of death in the U.S. among youth ages 10 to 24. Sexual and gender minority (SGM†) youth face heightened risk for suicide and report greater odds of attempting sui- cide than their heteronormative peers. Contributing factors of experience, which are distinctly different from the experiences of heteronormative youth, place SGM youth at heightened risk for suicide. While in- terventions aimed at addressing suicide risk factors for all youth are being implemented and many have proven effective in the general population, no evidence-based intervention currently exists to reduce suicide risk within this special population. This perspective article discusses this need and proposes the develop- ment of an evidence-based suicide risk reduction intervention tailored to SGM youth. Creating a supportive school climate for SGM youth has been shown to reduce suicide risk and may provide protective effects for all youth while simultaneously meeting the unique needs of SGM youth.
Background: Most women value continued quality of life as they age. Biological, cognitive and soc... more Background: Most women value continued quality of life as they age. Biological, cognitive and social factors make the concept of aging unappealing (Branch, Katz, & Kniepman, 1984). Of primary concern is the decline in sexual functioning in both sexes (Masters & Johnson, 1970). Previous research examined exercise/physical activity (PA) and female sexual response and demonstrated that vigorous physical exercise/PA activated the woman’s sexual response (Meston, 2000). The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between exercise/PA and sexual satisfaction among women. Methods: The current study used a 30-item online questionnaire to collect data on components of exercise/PA and markers of sexual satisfaction among 278 women ages 18 to 74. Results: Results of the Spearman Rho determined that aerobic frequency (r=.154, n=249, p<.05), aerobic duration (r=.131, n=248, p<.05), aerobic rate of perceived exertion (r=.129, n=244, p<.05), and recreation intensity (r=.208, ...
TITLE: Sexting Behaviors and Consequences Among Selected Southern Undergraduates BACKGROUND: The ... more TITLE: Sexting Behaviors and Consequences Among Selected Southern Undergraduates BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess sexting behaviors (i.e. sending, posting, or sharing/forwarding sexually suggestive messages, nude/semi-nude pictures/videos, or both) and health consequences of sexting behaviors among selected undergraduate students living in the South. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: Social Cognitive Theory – This generation of college students have been using mobile devices for many years, so the behavioral capability is primed for sexting. The college campus environment and society at large may be perceived to support sexting. Through observational learning, students may witness their peers achieve desired outcomes and adopt this behavior. Students may anticipate positive outcomes from sexting themselves (expectations) and value those outcomes (expectancies). HYPOTHESIS: Students experience more positive health consequences related to sexting than negative. Positive conseq...
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